July 13 Beauty queen can't find date

For a former beauty queen, getting a date should be a breeze, especially in a city like New York. But former Miss USA Nana Meriwether begs to differ.

Miss Meriwether, 28, who just handed over her crown a few weeks ago, said she has been struggling to get a date despite being endowed with both beauty and brains, reported the Mail Online.

The South Africa-born stunner told New York magazine The Cut that she uses Tinder, the "hot-or-not" hookup app, to navigate the brutal New York dating scene. The app uses Facebook profiles to pair users with matches within their geographical area, and rates potential matches based on shared friends, interests and networks .

Users can say "yes" or "no" with a single swipe. Tinder has reportedly generated 75 million matches since its October launch.

Women in particular are drawn to the site because the Facebook authentication helps avoid the "creep" factor - and crotch shots - of apps like Blendr and OkCupid.

The Cut reported that a Tinder user was "shocked" when Miss Meriwether popped up in the app under "available women in Lower Manhattan".

She told the magazine: "Here's the thing about dating in New York: It doesn't exist. There's so much going on in the city, there are so many distractions that people just forget to go on a second date."

Hard to date

But some jaded New Yorkers aren't surprised. "It's because dating in this city is generally terrible, which has only been exacerbated by the isolation and fear of interaction engendered by our addiction to the Internet," one astute commentator wrote.

The gorgeous, gifted athlete is among high-profile personalities like Martha Stewart, Halle Berry, and True Blood's Deborah Ann Woll, who have admitted to looking for love online. Miss Meriwether was a two-time all-American volleyball player at the University of California, Los Angeles, before beginning a graduate degree at University of Southern California - and plans to attend medical school after pursuing some entertainment opportunities.

She admitted that she prefers old-fashioned matchmaking to virtual dating.

So far, she's only approved "two or three guys" on the app.

Explained the beauty queen: "It's funny - the guys I've said 'yes' to have all been like, 'Are you real'?

"I'm like, 'Yeah, of course'. Even pageant title-holders get lonely."

Even though she is treating the app as a distraction, she has not ruled out meeting someone online.

She said: "I joined because a friend told me to, but I think it could be a great way to meet people, especially in New York City. I think when you're single, you should try all avenues."